How many countries in the world have a footballer as their best ever male sportsman?

[bluearmyfaction]

On 22/07/2021 at 15:30, Brummie Clyde said:

Sure I heard that archery is massive in Bhutan

It is, but not Olympic-style.  It's shooting at small wooden planks that look like tombstones and, like cricket, it involves changing ends.

[Miguel Sanchez]

On 25/07/2021 at 22:29, tamthebam said:

I know the moose molesters like their ice hockey and even I've heard of Gretsky but Ben Johnson is probably the most famous Canuck athlete if only for the wrong reasons.

 

On 26/07/2021 at 08:17, velo army said:

Donovan Bailey was the world's fastest man in 1996. Thrice world champion and double Olympic champion (1 of those in the relay). Pretty decent shout imo 

To be honest lads I could list about 50 hockey players who are better than their footballers and are more culturally relevant in Canada, as long as we decide if they're better than the footballer or not that's all I'm really focusing on.

On 26/07/2021 at 10:56, Mark Connolly said:

60s.

But probably.

Jackie Stewart from the 70s, don't forget.

[Miguel Sanchez]

Chad are currently banned from FIFA competitions because of government interference in their football association. Their current captain, leading scorer and leading cap winner is Ezechiel N'Douassel - Wikipedia who is also nicknamed King Eze. He's played in Tunisia, Turkey and Israel.

There's even less outside of football, so it looks like an easy win here.

Chile have experienced the most successful period in their history over the past decade and there are several names you recognise as options here. Claudio Bravo, Gary Medel, Arturo Vidal and Mauricio Isla are all solid options, but Alexis Sánchez - Wikipedia is widely considered the best Chilean footballer ever.

Wikipedia's options for sport in Chile offers an exercise in objectivity:

Quote

The development of sport was unstable, with no planning by government and without large financial contributions, only the will of those interested. Chile participated among the select countries inaugurating the Modern Olympics in Athens, Greece, where there was no official representation, but a spontaneous presence of a single athlete, Luis Subercaseaux, who arrive dressed in the national colors to run the hundred meter dash, and had been training in outdoor running.[8] After a hundred years of modern sport, the history of Chile has not produced many world level sports heroes, but by the end of the 20th century, it became clear that the competition was to win. The triumphs in the meantime have been less than many would like, but objectively, more than many would believe.

Quite. Their best two non-footballing options seem to be Martín Vargas - Wikipedia, a boxer from the 70s who fought for the world title at flyweight level four times and lost all of them. Marcelo Ríos - Wikipedia was ranked number 1 in the world in tennis for a brief period in 1998, and made the Australian Open final once. I think Rios is the best option here, but it's an easy win for Sanchez regardless.

China is an interesting one because I can almost guarantee before I check that the non-footballer will win. I've also discovered that football in China only turned professional in 1994. Sun Jihai - Wikipedia played in England for quite a while, and Wu Lei - Wikipedia is currently established at Espanyol. If we're favouring people playing at a high level these two are the best options, and I think Sun is the best option since he played at a higher level for longer. 

There are a few names to list here. Yao Ming - Wikipedia had a very successful NBA career. Liu Xiang (hurdler) - Wikipedia is a world and Olympic champion hurdler. Lin Dan - Wikipedia is a multiple Olympic and world champion badminton player. Sun Yang - Wikipedia is an extremely decorated swimmer who currently has a doping suspension. They also have several successful gymnasts, with Zou Kai - Wikipedia the most successful of those. I'm happy to take suggestions here, but I think any of these could beat Sun Jihai.

Chinese Taipei have little to offer with a big reputation. Chen Po-liang - Wikipedia is the national team captain and leads them in caps and goals, let's pick him. 

Chien-Ming Wang - Wikipedia had an 11 year MLB career, it seems like an easy win here.

Colombia... is it Valderrama? It's Valderrama: Carlos Valderrama - Wikipedia

Nairo Quintana - Wikipedia is the best cyclist in Colombia's history with Spanish and Italian Tour de France wins. Édgar Rentería - Wikipedia had an extensive MLB career with a few World Series wins. I'm not sure they or any of Colombia's other options can match Valderrama (or even Radamel Falcao) though, either from the impact on their own sport or on Colombia in general. 

[Mark Connolly]

1 hour ago, Miguel Sanchez said:

 

To be honest lads I could list about 50 hockey players who are better than their footballers and are more culturally relevant in Canada, as long as we decide if they're better than the footballer or not that's all I'm really focusing on.

Jackie Stewart from the 70s, don't forget.

I was more correcting the "40s" bit than commenting on who our best F1 driver was tbh.

Although Stewart is on record numerous times as saying it was Jim Clark. But we'll get to all that shit later, I'd imagine...

[Marshmallo]

A 5x MLB all star with a World Series MVP is a better shout than Valderrama I'd say.

[Nightmare]

2 hours ago, Miguel Sanchez said:

Chile have experienced the most successful period in their history over the past decade and there are several names you recognise as options here. Claudio Bravo, Gary Medel, Arturo Vidal and Mauricio Isla are all solid options, but Alexis Sánchez - Wikipedia is widely considered the best Chilean footballer ever.

Ivan Zamorano for me. Probably close between him & Sanchez, but he’s definitely ahead of all those others.

[Raidernation]

Chad are currently banned from FIFA competitions because of government interference in their football association. Their current captain, leading scorer and leading cap winner is Ezechiel N'Douassel - Wikipedia who is also nicknamed King Eze. He's played in Tunisia, Turkey and Israel.
There's even less outside of football, so it looks like an easy win here.
Chile have experienced the most successful period in their history over the past decade and there are several names you recognise as options here. Claudio Bravo, Gary Medel, Arturo Vidal and Mauricio Isla are all solid options, but Alexis Sánchez - Wikipedia is widely considered the best Chilean footballer ever.
Wikipedia's options for sport in Chile offers an exercise in objectivity:

The development of sport was unstable, with no planning by government and without large financial contributions, only the will of those interested. Chile participated among the select countries inaugurating the Modern Olympics in Athens, Greece, where there was no official representation, but a spontaneous presence of a single athlete, Luis Subercaseaux, who arrive dressed in the national colors to run the hundred meter dash, and had been training in outdoor running.[8] After a hundred years of modern sport, the history of Chile has not produced many world level sports heroes, but by the end of the 20th century, it became clear that the competition was to win. The triumphs in the meantime have been less than many would like, but objectively, more than many would believe.

Quite. Their best two non-footballing options seem to be Martín Vargas - Wikipedia, a boxer from the 70s who fought for the world title at flyweight level four times and lost all of them. Marcelo Ríos - Wikipedia was ranked number 1 in the world in tennis for a brief period in 1998, and made the Australian Open final once. I think Rios is the best option here, but it's an easy win for Sanchez regardless.
China is an interesting one because I can almost guarantee before I check that the non-footballer will win. I've also discovered that football in China only turned professional in 1994. Sun Jihai - Wikipedia played in England for quite a while, and Wu Lei - Wikipedia is currently established at Espanyol. If we're favouring people playing at a high level these two are the best options, and I think Sun is the best option since he played at a higher level for longer. 
There are a few names to list here. Yao Ming - Wikipedia had a very successful NBA career. Liu Xiang (hurdler) - Wikipedia is a world and Olympic champion hurdler. Lin Dan - Wikipedia is a multiple Olympic and world champion badminton player. Sun Yang - Wikipedia is an extremely decorated swimmer who currently has a doping suspension. They also have several successful gymnasts, with Zou Kai - Wikipedia the most successful of those. I'm happy to take suggestions here, but I think any of these could beat Sun Jihai.
Chinese Taipei have little to offer with a big reputation. Chen Po-liang - Wikipedia is the national team captain and leads them in caps and goals, let's pick him. 
Chien-Ming Wang - Wikipedia had an 11 year MLB career, it seems like an easy win here.
Colombia... is it Valderrama? It's Valderrama: Carlos Valderrama - Wikipedia
Nairo Quintana - Wikipedia is the best cyclist in Colombia's history with Spanish and Italian Tour de France wins. Édgar Rentería - Wikipedia had an extensive MLB career with a few World Series wins. I'm not sure they or any of Colombia's other options can match Valderrama (or even Radamel Falcao) though, either from the impact on their own sport or on Colombia in general. 

I have to pick Quintana. Winning a 3 week long cycling marathon seems to be a much greater achievement than playing football for your country.

[Brummie Clyde]

Zamorano and Salas were good, as is Vidal, but I think Alexis Sanchez is their best footballer.

I would say Yao Ming for China. I don't really watch basketball, but know he was immense. Think he led China out at the opening ceremony of the Olympics once.
Players like Li Tie, Sun Jihai and that Palace player weren't at that level.

Chinese Taipei have had some pretty good pool players.

[NotThePars]

I don’t always necessarily think Pep is always wrong but it’s just deeply funny the full certainty he has in what he says and the way it’s framed as not possibly being up for discussion. As a fellow Glasgow Humanities alumni that loves banging on about the expertise it gave him I just physically can’t imagine carrying on like that in a seminar. Zero justification for the opinion just stating it as fact and not up for discussion then getting abusive when there’s justifiable pushback.

[Mark Connolly]

1 hour ago, NotThePars said:

I don’t always necessarily think Pep is always wrong but it’s just deeply funny the full certainty he has in what he says and the way it’s framed as not possibly being up for discussion. As a fellow Glasgow Humanities alumni that loves banging on about the expertise it gave him I just physically can’t imagine carrying on like that in a seminar. Zero justification for the opinion just stating it as fact and not up for discussion then getting abusive when there’s justifiable pushback.

He often has a point, but rather than back it up with facts, he uses invented anecdotal "conversations". I bet when he was at school, he had a hot foreign supermodel girlfriend who he met up his gran's bit.

Although my favourite recently was his insistence that Lee Westwood hates the Old Course, based on a decade (and more) old article. When he was presented with a far more recent interview with Westwood in which he retracted his previous comments, it was "nah, he has to say that in public, you fucking idiots".

[accies1874]

He's a legend.

[Barry Ferguson's Hat]

I had a Chadian regen called Joseph N'Doram on Championsip Manager 95/96 who was honestly immense; banging in 30+ goals for over a decade and valued at £20,000,000. Would be hard to look past him as Chad's greatest ever sportsman. 

Edited July 28, 2021 by Barry Ferguson's Hat

[Miguel Sanchez]

Comoros have qualified for their first ever tournament this year, the Africa Cup of Nations. They don't have much going for them but El Fardou Ben Nabouhane - Wikipedia has the most international goals and quite a few winners medals with Red Star Belgrade, along with time spent in France and Greece.

Outside of football there's very little. Maoulida Darouèche - Wikipedia has done both sprinting and javelin, so he wins but comes second to football.

Democratic Republic of the Congo were once Zaire. There are a few names familiar to English and Scottish football in the recent squads, but unless someone thinks Yannick Bolasie is good my vote is going to be for Dieumerci Mbokani - Wikipedia, with multiple winners medals from Belgian and Ukrainian football. Chancel Mbemba - Wikipedia plays for Porto and has played for Newcastle and Anderlecht, and he looks a good age to play lots of games for his country in the future.

This is probably irrelevant though as Dikembe Mutombo - Wikipedia is an accomplished basketball player, so it's an easy win for him. 

Republic of the Congo are a ballache to compare since most of their most capped players are from the olden days, with an AFCON win in 1972 and little else internationally. Jonas Bahamboula - Wikipedia has the most caps and was apparently voted one of the best 200 African footballers from 1956-2006. So was François M'Pelé - Wikipedia however and he spent a lot of time playing in France and scored a lot of goals, so I'm voting for him. Lomana LuaLua - Wikipedia is a name you'll recognise but M'Pele wins this for me.

Outside of football, I've no idea. It's hard enough to distinguish between the democratic and non-democratic Congolese Republics historically, but the DR Congo seem to have the pick of the bunch from over the years. If someone fancies doing the work on this one, fire away. 

Cook Islands are in the Australian equivalent of the Caribbean. Looks like our only choice is their most-capped player, Tony Jamieson - Wikipedia. Goalkeeper. 22 caps. 

Alex Beddoes - Wikipedia has won gold medals in the Pacific Games in the 800 and 1500m, I think he wins. That is unless any rugby fans can name anyone relevant. Either way it's a loss for the footballer.

Costa Rica is a very interesting one. A lot of their most capped players have a lot of experience and a lot of goals, but I'm going to throw out this name from the 20s and 30s: Alejandro Morera Soto - Wikipedia Keylor Navas and Paulo Wanchope are the other best options but I'm a sucker for a black and white photo of someone with 60 goals in 70 games for Barcelona.

Outside of football there's very little: Andrey Amador - Wikipedia once won a stage in the Giro D'Italia. Nery Brenes - Wikipedia is a sprinter with a gold in the 2012 World Indoor Championships in the 400m being his highlight. Easy win for the footballer I think.

[oneteaminglasgow]

Republic of the Congo have a basketball player who seems to have had a fairly long NBA career: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_Ibaka

Edit: scrap that, just noticed he’s represented Spain internationally. 

Edited July 29, 2021 by oneteaminglasgow

[Brummie Clyde]

Think big Christopher Samba of Blackburn fame is from Republic of Congo.

Briefly thrown up front for Villa, but amazingly didn't score many.

[craigkillie]

Lomano Lua Lua is from DR Congo not the Republic of Congo.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Cook Islands are in the Australian equivalent of the Caribbean. Looks like our only choice is their most-capped player, Tony Jamieson - Wikipedia. Goalkeeper. 22 caps. 
Alex Beddoes - Wikipedia has won gold medals in the Pacific Games in the 800 and 1500m, I think he wins. That is unless any rugby fans can name anyone relevant. Either way it's a loss for the footballer.

Lima Sopoaga plays for Wasps and was capped by the All Blacks 18 times - he has 3 brothers in the current Cook Islands squad.

Of players who played for Cook Islands there's a few to choose from.

Tommy Hayes - played for Glasgow, Worcester and Bristol.

Date Rennie - played for Wellington.

Tu Tamarua - played for Harlequins and Swansea.

Stan Wright - played for Leinster, Blues and Stade Francais.

[Marshmallo]

4 hours ago, oneteaminglasgow said:

Republic of the Congo have a basketball player who seems to have had a fairly long NBA career: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_Ibaka

Edit: scrap that, just noticed he’s represented Spain internationally. 

Ibaka surely counts and wins for Republic of Congo

[Miguel Sanchez]

21 hours ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

 

 

Lima Sopoaga plays for Wasps and was capped by the All Blacks 18 times - he has 3 brothers in the current Cook Islands squad.

Of players who played for Cook Islands there's a few to choose from.

Tommy Hayes - played for Glasgow, Worcester and Bristol.

Date Rennie - played for Wellington.

Tu Tamarua - played for Harlequins and Swansea.

Stan Wright - played for Leinster, Blues and Stade Francais.


 

 

I think Tommy Hayes looks like the best option here, he's definitely better than the footballer at least so it seems fairly easy.

21 hours ago, Marshmallo said:

Ibaka surely counts and wins for Republic of Congo

I don't really want to count him for them since going by the usual footballing nationality rules we wouldn't consider him Congolese, but it's a strange case here since he lived there until he was 17 and played while he was there, so it's not like his development had nothing to do with his country. It's a difficult one.

[Karpaty Lviv]

On 16/07/2021 at 23:42, GordonS said:

These countries are certainties: Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, Canada, USA, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Jamaica, Kenya, Ethiopia, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa... 

The Klitschko brothers are the obvious competition to Sheva for Ukraine. Oleh Blokhin won the Ballon d’Or in 1975 as well.